Jessica Grib nearly died giving birth to her daughter, almost becoming a statistic impacting hundreds of women every year. Each year in the US, around 700 women who give birth die due to complications during childbirth.
Grib developed blood pressure issues around 35 weeks pregnant.
“I was chasing around a toddler so I thought this is just kind of pregnancy-related symptoms,” said Grib.
On Sept. 29, 2016, she had an emergency C-section and delivered her daughter. But that’s when things changed.
“I crashed and coded, the doctors and nurses came flooding into the room. They handed my daughter to my husband and said you need to get out,” Grib said.
Doctors say she flatlined for 36 hours, kept alive with the help of a small heart pump, called Impella.
“She suffered peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). PPCM is a form of heart failure that causes the heart chambers to enlarge and weaken at the end of pregnancy.
Two weeks after giving birth she was finally able to meet her daughter Amelia. She’s since made a full recovery and even had two additional children. But her story is one she wants others to hear.
See the full story: ‘I was gone;’ St. Louis mother shares near death experience after giving birth
